Tag: Tom Pelphrey

Iron Fist Season 1 Speculation and Analysis

~ Metacrone

IF113IronFist

The first time I watched through the entire season of Iron Fist, I thought the second half of the season was not as good as the first half. The second time around I realized that the show became better and better as the season went on, as they warmed up to poking fun at themselves, the genre, and the stereotypes of our culture, sometimes to the point of parody. It seems some people agree with me, since the show ended up being popular on Netflix. Good to know that there’s room for lighter MCU fare on TV in addition to Agents of SHIELD.

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Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 13: Dragon Plays with Fire Recap

~ Metacrone

IF113Harold

The episode’s cold open finds Harold all dressed up and straightening his tie in the glass that separates him from his plants/Eden, as he stands in front of his glass coffin. He’s about to get out of purgatory. But we see a painting of Eve grasping the apple in the background, so this probably isn’t going to go the way he hopes it will.

As Harold moves to the next room, the news tells us that Danny is still on the run and is at the top of the most wanted list. Harold whistles a happy tune as he packs his briefcase and drives himself to the Rand building.

Ward is consulting with Jeri Hogarth about Danny when Harold arrives. Jeri is only thrown for a moment then jumps to recounting the legal ramifications of faking one’s death. Harold dismisses her with a comment about her looks. As if we didn’t have enough reasons to hate him. Trinity has aged quite well, Faramir. Take a look in the mirror.

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Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 12: Bar the Big Boss Recap

~ Metacrone

IF112Colleen&Danny

We finally check back in with Ward this episode, who’s going through detox and being tormented by his father during his stay in the mental hospital. The visions of Harold with a knife in his side appear to be hallucinations. But, we’ve seen Harold pull the fake hallucination stunt with Danny, and seen him chop off his own finger. Putting the knife Ward killed him with back in his side would be nothing after that.

Ward is comforted by sweet Nurse Stacy, then visited by his next nightmare, Bakuto. The guy just can’t get any peace and quiet. Bakuto puts an antidote to Gao’s synthetic heroin into Ward’s IV to speed up the especially nasty detox process that the synthetic heroin causes.

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Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 9: The Mistress of All Agonies Recap

~ Metacrone

IF109Harold

For our episode 9 cold open, we’re back at Harold’s favorite body-dumping ground, which he passed down to Ward, like any good father would. It’s been approximately three days since Ward used the swamp to get rid of Harold’s body, after Ward’s murderous but character-defining moment of both insanity and defiance. Sure enough, Harold pops up out of the muck like the God he thinks he is, with the knife that killed him still in his side. He drags himself out of the primordial ooze and turns his face up to the heavens to revel in the next stage of his evolution.

David Wenham is having a fantastic time hamming it up as Harold.

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Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 8: The Blessing of Many Fractures Recap

~ Metacrone

IF108Danny&Girls

Ward sinks further into his drug and alcohol fueled delusions and depression this episode, despite being rid of Harold, while Joy starts to come into her own, even though she didn’t know that Harold has been pulling the strings all along. Danny becomes more obsessed with Madame Gao and revenge, though he pretends his investigation is about the current synthetic heroin trade.

Danny starts the episode by warning his friends about the Hand. He stops by Harold’s apartment, but, of course Harold is gone. All that’s left is a giant smear of blood across the floor, left from Ward dragging the body out. Before Danny can react much, Ward comes in with a bag of cleaning supplies. Because he’s Danny, and he’s the Iron Fist, not the Iron Brain, he doesn’t put the cleaning supplies and the giant freakin’ blood stain together as clues. Instead, he blames himself for getting Harold killed by the Hand and tells that to Ward. Thanks to Harold, Ward is becoming a pro at looking sick and shocked. He pulls that look up again on cue. With a straight face, he blames Danny for making him grieve his father’s death twice. (Pretty sure Harold’s second death was the second best day of Ward’s life.) Since Danny is the most trusting and naive person on the earth, of course he believes Ward, even when Ward drives him out of the apartment with insults. Ward then gets down to his cleaning. I can almost hear him whistling while he works.

Danny’s at least smart enough to take Gao’s laptop with him.

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Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 7: Felling Tree with Roots Recap

~ Metacrone

IF107Colleen&Danny

Harold is in Ultron’s glass chamber again when a couple of Madame Gao’s goons show up to punish him for leaving the penthouse bunker without permission and keeping Danny/ the Iron Fist a secret. They intend to cut off a small body part so that he has a constant reminder to behave. Goon #1 sets a long knife on the coffee table in front of Harold in preparation while he monologues.

Harold swears on the lives of his children that he has nothing to do with Danny Rand, and has never heard of the Iron Fist. (But, he says, the iron fist sounds like a sex toy- agreed). With his usual sense of subtlety and timing, Danny walks in and calls out to Harold that they have a problem. Oops. Harold thinks quick, grabs the knife from Hand Goon #1, and stabs him in the stomach. Fighting ensues.

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Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 6: Immortal Emerges from Cave Recap

~ Metacrone

IF106Danny

In this episode, we learn more about Madame Gao and the Hand. Specifically, that she’s smarter than Danny, and there’s a reason she’s lived so long. Danny has suffered through some difficult experiences, and worked hard to get through his training, but he hasn’t really experienced treachery and betrayal first hand yet. Madame Gao is happy to help him fill in those gaps in his education.

At the start of the episode, we hear Danny’s mentor from K’un Lun instructing him as he meditates, while invitations are passed out to a pair of Russian butchers in a restaurant, an entomologist working in her office, and an assassin relaxing with some karaoke after murdering several people. The invitations say, “The time has come.”

Danny remembers his mentor, Lei Kung, telling him, “I tolerate no questioning from you because doubt leads to death.”

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Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 5: Under Leaf Pluck Lotus Recap

~ Metacrone

IF105Danny&Colleen

Okay, I know I’m supposed to take this new heroin that’s infesting Rand and our cities super seriously, but there’s an issue for me that I can’t get past. When the flight attendant drug dealer pulls out the stylish new heroin patch, what she pulls out is a medical dressing called Tegaderm made by 3M. It’s used for surgical wounds and to hold IV lines and medical devices to the skin. Metamaiden has been using them since she was ten years old for her diabetes devices. The heroin addiction explains so much, let me tell you.

I guess we now also know that Rand is patterned after 3M, which happens to be my husband’s employer. We’ve been living on the spoils of the drug and tape business for years now. Why do you think I’m so into duct tape? That’s where the cocaine is. 😎

Anyway, we actually open on a group of flight attendants young women with rolling cases headed to various offices. But, seriously, why the uniformed bot look? We hear them explaining the joy of their newest pharmaceutical product which, surprise! Turns out to be a no-muss, no-fuss synthetic heroin, which helpfully comes as pills, patches, powder, and drops. It’s been specially formulated so that the human body never develops a tolerance for it. The final potential client asks to test a sample on an expert, and brings out an addict with track marks all over his arm. No need for that any more! On goes the Tegaderm, which is breathable and waterproof, in case you’re wondering, so you can wear it 24/7, through all of your other activities. No idea how that would affect the heroin, but I’m going to guess they want you to keep a heroin patch or two on at all times. For your health.

The addict passes out for a moment, then wakes up and says it feels like the first time. Orders start pouring in.

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Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 4: Eight Diagram Dragon Palm Recap

~ Metacrone

IF104DannyWardJoy

Danny hasn’t fallen to the sidewalk in an Iron Fisted splat, so the series can go on. He catches onto a light pole as he’s falling from the window of the penthouse bunker, then falls again, after declaring that he needs to get himself to the surface of all things in K’un Lun. He lands on a ledge and is knocked out.

No clue how he survives the fall. Let’s go with mysticism and a tie in with Dr Strange, because that’s where this show fits in the MCU. Danny is clearly Stephen Strange’s younger, naive cousin, ready to hang out with Tom Holland’s Spiderman, the Guardians of the Galaxy, or the Agents of SHIELD. If ABC cancels AoS after season 4, new episodes could move to Netflix and fit right in with this show.

Back to the show we’re supposed to be recapping.

Danny wakes up in the penthouse bunker, the opening credits having conveniently disguised how he got there. He’s on Harold’s couch, and looks at the view of Harold’s arched window that Harold looked at in episode 2 with Kyle to the side. Danny is alone in the frame, and in the light, whereas Harold was in the dark. Ward walks in behind Danny and stands just to his side. Danny is already protected, has already received sacred instructions and is a believer. Finding Harold again brings him back to the family he was missing, but Ward crossing behind him is a reminder that everything is not as it seems.

Danny and Ward sort out the fairness of Ward pushing Danny off the building but then bringing him upstairs, because they will never stop bickering like brothers. Harold makes his grand entrance, telling them to get over it, like he probably did a thousand times when they were kids. Danny freaks and jumps to stand next to Ward, because even a crappy big brother might still protect you from a ghost.

Ward watches Danny closely, surprisingly protective of his abusive father. Danny and Harold bond over coming back from the dead, with Danny taking a moment to remember how ridiculous it is for him to argue with someone else about this. But then he succumbs to his emotions, and accepts Harold as his new father. Harold tells Danny that he’s home now and they hug.

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Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 3 Rolling Thunder Cannon Punch Recap

~ Metacrone

 

IF103Colleen

I am, as usual, the champion of the show no one else likes*. I love that Ward Meachum and his henchman keep turning up at Colleen’s dojo trying to intimidate her, and she humiliates them over and over again. She can take care of herself, and she will keep showing them that as many d*mn times as it takes. It’s pretty cool that these first few episodes have given us as much or more of Colleen as an amazing, revered fighter than they have of Danny. She’s the hometown girl with a stake in the neighborhood and a reputation. I want more Iron Fist fight scenes, too, but I’ll never complain about the female fighter being given equal time and skill. Especially when she doesn’t need to have a man come in and save her at the end of the fight, which is what generally happens.

Speaking of which, we start episode three with Ward’s go to henchmen breaking into the dojo, for Colleen’s own protection, of course. They don’t even bother to be quiet about it. Hope Colleen broke a few bones with her practice sword, to make up for the broken lock. She tells the goons she wants nothing to do with them or anything Rand.

Danny was clinging to the ceiling, because he can double as Spiderman when necessary. He promises not to cause any more trouble. Colleen says that the 3rd tenet of the Bushido code is mercy, but even that has its limits. He needs to be gone in the morning.

Ward makes his way through his father’s gorgeous building up to the penthouse bunker. He can’t find his father when he arrives, but then notices that Harold is laying in a glass case. Is he Snow White? Ultron? Hard to say. It looks like one of the cases Dr Cho and Tony Stark used in Ultron, so let’s go with healing as the guess for why he’s in there. He might have sold his soul to the devil though.

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